3521. Continuing to converse with them respecting the operation of their sphere, some of them said they would believe if they should see me resuscitate a dead person who was lying on a bier. But is was given to reply, that even if they should see a dead person revived, they would not believe unless they should see me resuscitate a number, and even then they would ascribe it to natural causes, and so would believe less than before; for so it happens with anything which becomes familiar, that it makes no more impression than the sight of green meadows, which excite as little wonder when the causes are not considered, as did the manna with the Jews, though they saw it every day. Therefore faith cannot be rooted in a man's mind by means of miracles, nor even persuasion; if they are ever persuaded, it will be without miracles. They afterwards said, when left to their own thoughts that if they should see a priest raise [and reanimate] a dead body that was being borne to the burial, they should ascribe it to fraud; and when they were convinced that it was no fraud, they would say that the soul of the dead man had some secret communication with the priest, by means of which the resuscitation took place; and if they saw this happen in repeated instances, they would be confirmed in the idea that there was some secret in the case which they did not comprehend, as many things occur in the course of nature which are not well understood; but they would never believe the priest's assertion that the effect was wrought by a celestial power, and so would ascribe it to nature. The quality of their faith, even though miracles should be wrought, may hence appear. It is such that they neither believe in spirit, nor heaven, nor hell. * Compare AC 5573.